Shubira Prasad: Addicted to writing

"I can skip a meal, but not my writing. I am addicted to it,” says author Shubira Prasad, who is out with a new fiction read, The Demons of Jaitraya. She self-published first fiction novel, Kshma, in December 2016. Her new book is based on the Ramayana.

It begins after the Rama-Ravana war, when Lord Hanumana is entrusted with the task of locating and killing the rakshakas who had gone into hiding. But the plot is given a modern twist and written as a thriller set in the current times.

Here, Lord Hanumana and his brave warriors free the Earth from the demons that are emerging out of their hiber nation and spreading illnesses and calamity on the way.

Born in Mughal Sarai, a sleepy railway town on the fringes of the holy city of Varanasi, Prasad graduated from Patna Women’s College before getting married to an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer. She is an educationist, but not the traditional one. She quit her teaching job some time ago as she “loves a one-to-one interaction with students”.

Excerpts:

How was the experience of writing this book focusing more on the surviving demons than Lord Rama? 

The experience was greatly spiritual. I used to get very strong urges to write, and would write 500 to 600 words at one go. Though the subject is very close to my heart, it was still a new idea when I began writing. I did flounder a bit, and took a year of research before I came out with this first book in the series of trilogy I have planned.

What explains a fiction based on the Ramayana?

Nothing can be more interesting than the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in India and the neighbouring countries where practicing Hindus reside.

There are many versions of the Ramayana; each has its own interpretation but leaves many questions unanswered. I wanted to write about the rakshasas that survived the war. I researched about the demons and their kin from the Ramayana, the weapons they had, and the divine weapons that would destroy them.

What are the other two books on and when can we expect these to be out?

All three books in the series of The Demons of Jaitraya are based on adventure, the underlying theme being the destruction of the scum of the Earth. I have written about the demons slowly coming out of their hibernation from various places on the Earth, under the Earth, under water and space too.

The clash is between the demons who escaped and the warriors from the time of the Ramayana who have to be reborn through the different ages to tackle these demons. This kaleidoscope is so vast, it will take more than three books to cover it. The second and the third book are print ready, but with the pandemic going strong, I want to wait for some time before bringing these out.

Who are your favourite authors and what are your favourite books?

There is no one favourite author or book. From Prem Chand, Sarat Chandra, Gurudutt, even the sleazy Ibne Safi BA, Dharamveer Bharti, Shivani to Ernest Hemingway, Somerset Maugham, Ayn Rand, Tolstoy, Steinbeck, Devdutt Patnaik, Amish Tripathi, Leon Uris, Arthur Hailey, Narendra Kohli, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, and other writers have been my favourites. Each writer holds a special place in my heart. The same goes for the books.

Your other interests?

Reading and writing occupies most of my time. But I am fond of rock painting. I have painted
quite a number of rocks and stones. I love gardening and have won awards for my gardens
in various IAF competitions. I can also cook delicious biryanis, kebabs and desserts. My typical day consists of meditation, yoga, falling in the trap of social media, writing and research for writing.

THE DEMONS OF JAITRAYA BY SHUBIRA PRASAD
Publisher: Vitasta
Pages: 344
Price: Rs 334 on amazon.in